Brief in which King Henry III recalls that as there are people who might perhaps convey to the lord pope and cardinals certain business which has recently been transacted by him as a result of the advice of his magnates and vassals, who may put a malicious interpretation on it, and as the affair might be a potential hindrance to him, he (so the recipients are better prepared to argue against the cunning deceits of such men) is minded to explain here the whole sequence of certain of his affairs, so that they may not be uninformed about what has passed, on which it may happen that they or others might otherwise be deceived. [2] So they are to be aware that whereas, at the time when the bishop of Norwich was legate (1218–1221), the earl Marshal still occupied the castles of Marlborough and Ludgershall, and was proposing to marry the sister of Count Robert of Dreux, and there were also other magnates in England who were endeavouring to distance him from the king by injurious alliances, the idea of betrothing the earl to one of the king's sisters was discussed between the legate, his justiciar and certain other magnates, partly because the political alliance with foreigners was thought alarming should the earl marry the sister of the count of Dreux – so as not to render England more accessible to foreigners, especially since Richard Marshal, the brother of the earl, might obtain all the Marshal lands in Normandy – and partly because of fear of the malice of those people who endeavoured to seduce the earl's allegiance from the king; and indeed because the castles of Marlborough and Ludgershall ought to be returned to him (which many times the earl promised) so that the other magnates might the more readily be persuaded likewise to return to the king his castles which they also held. [3] Because of his tender years and the fragile state of his kingdom, one of the king's sisters was destined for the said Marshal, by the authority of the legate and the counsel of certain magnates. The said Marshal swore to marry her, if it pleased the king and the magnates of the realm. The justiciar swore to hand her over to the Marshal, if the magnates of the kingdom agreed. The legate, the justiciar and others who were present faithfully promised that they would approach this matter conscientiously. The said castles were handed back to the legate, so that if the contract were not fulfilled within a space of time long now expired, they should be given back promptly to the Marshal. [4] Further to this, when these matters were communicated to other magnates, notably to the earl of Chester who at that point returned from the Holy Land (July 1220) – the earl strongly approved the match and many others agreed, with no dissenters. But afterwards, when certain dissensions had emerged, some people demurred, claiming – just as indeed was said on their behalf in the papal curia – that the king should have no greater an aid for his own marriage as for his sisters, as a result of which his sisters’ marriage arrangements would be impeded, about which he was negotiating a considerable treaty in foreign parts, and so at that time the Marshal arrangement remained unfulfilled. [5] But when recently (June 1222) the same Marshal obtained a papal mandate addressed to the archbishop of Canterbury and bishop of Salisbury, that either they should cause him to be entirely absolved from the conditions of the oath, or the marriage contract be confirmed, the Marshal insisted vociferously that one of those options should be followed, since he cared for nothing other than that he be married. So now as before it is a worry that Marshal – a man of great power in England as much as Ireland – might marry the sister of the said count of Dreux or a daughter of the duke of Brabant, who was likewise offered to him – which on account of the matters already alluded to would assist the king in no way – or even the sister of the king of Scots, where similarly no small danger might arise, for by how much nearer Scotland is to Ireland and the Marshal lands, so much the more dangerous would the marriage be to the king. [6] So having considered the energy and power of the said Marshal, as well as the faithful service he has openly and strenuously performed for the king especially in the region of Wales – his castles which Llywelyn prince of Gwynedd held which Marshal vigorously reclaimed (in April 1223) would scarcely have been taken without his capacity and hard work – and also bearing in mind the example of Philip, the late king of France (died 14 July 1223) – who for a long time freely married off his daughters, sisters, and nieces to the likes of the counts of Namur and Ponthieu and others of his men rather than to foreigners, just as the current king of France recently married off his niece, the daughter of Guichard de Beaujeu to the count of Champagne (after August 1223); because of all these precedents and the great things which are hoped for from the Marshal, it should not be objectionable to the king and his council – all things considered – that he may at some time permit him to marry his sister to his advantage and honour. The king, on the advice of such and such men, having discussed this business extensively, conceded the Marshal his younger sister, without lessening of his lands, castles or money. [September 1223 × January 1224]

1. A = Kew, National Archives (PRO), SC1/2/109.

   Printed, Royal Letters, 1: 244–246; Diplomatic Documents, 95–97.